ZYGAENA. By H. Reiss. 
13 
the Museum at Tring. — var. montana Rothsch. (I k) of which the <J-type from the Museum at Tring is illustrated, montana. 
caught at Azrou in the Middle Atlas (Morocco), is duskier and more heavily haired, without red collar and scarcely 
any traces of same on shoulders, legs quite black. — In the var. fracticingulata Rothsch. (1 1) from the Great frachcvnyu- 
Atlas (Hte Reraya, Morocco) which is fairly similar to ungemachi the red abdominal belt is clearly indicated 
laterally. The $-type illustrated is from the Museum at Tring. — Further subsp. olivacea Rothsch. (1 1) from ohvacea. 
Taza (northeast of Fez) in Morocco with olive green fore wings and dark carmine red reduced spots. The hindwmgs 
are more or less heavily adumbrated. Thorax and abdomen quite black, shoulder blades deep carmine led. 
The illustrated specimen is the $-type from the Museum at Tring. 
The larvae feed on Eryngium campestre L. They differ from the favonia larvae chiefly in that the 
yellow lateral spots and the red neck segment of favonia are absent. The cocoon of loysells is smoother than 
that of favonia. 
Z. aurata Black. (Vol. 2, p. 31) (1 1) from the Morocco Atlas (Tizi Gourza) I consider as a separate aurata. 
species. It differs entirely from favonia flying in the same locality, it is dainty with acutely pointed wings, 
both on the upper and undersides it has a greenish brassy yellow glossy ground colour and similar collai and 
shoulder blades, the thorax has similar hairs. The red is a pale carmine; spots very small: 1, 3, 5 and <> are 
separate, 2 and 4 faintly conjoined. A very fine but somewhat darker border to the outer margin of the fore¬ 
wings and at the apex. Fringes brassy yellow. Hindwings slightly adumbrated at apex, fringes blackish. Thorax 
and abdomen blue-black, the latter with red belt on 2—3 segments, which does not meet underneath. The 
underside of the abdomen and the anal clasps in the as well as the legs are pure ivory-yellow. Feelers shorter 
and less clavate than in favonia. The illustrated is from the Museum at Tring. — lire var. opaca Black, which, opaca. 
according to the description should be placed here, is densely scaled as aurata, it has however a darkei led and 
black ground colour with a green sheen. Collar and shoulder blades as in aurata, abdomen black underneath 
with a red belt on 2—3 segments, legs yellow. From the foot of the moroccan Atlas (Amezmiz). 
Z. favonia Freyer ( — cedri Bruand) in Vol. 2, p. 20 and 441. ab. flava Rothsch. is a pale glossy yellow V' 
form, whilst powelli Oberth. (Vol. 2, p. 441) is ochre yellow. Specimens similar to staudingeri have been named 
ab. pseudostaudingeri (Rothsch,) Bgff. ; ab. valentini Bruand (Vol. 2, p. 20) are favonia with confluent spous on 
forewings. — The type race of subsp. vitrina Stgr. (Vol. 2, p. 20) is limited to Constantine; var. staudingeii Aust. 
(Vol. 2, p. 20, plate 4 g) is to be classified as the next race, Nemours, Boghari, Oran, Tangiers. — var. littoralis littorahs. 
Rothsch. (1 1) from the atlantic Litoral of Morocco (Mogador) has sooty grey-green ground colour. The red of 
the spots of the forewings and the hindwings is dark purple to blood red. The specimen illustrated is from the 
Museum at Tring. — var. niaroccensis n. nov. (intermedia Rothsch, n. praeocc.) (1 1) from Tizi Goura (moroccan marocccnsis 
Atlas) is somewhat smaller and paler than littoralis, the spots are reduced. The body more heavily haired and 
the legs more yellow. The cotype illustrated is from the Museum at Tring. var. borreyi Oberth. (1 m) has a borreyi 
dull dusky appearance. The carmine colouration of the spots of the forewings and hindwings is darker than in 
algerian specimens; Morocco (Chabat-el-Hamma, at the end of May). Illustration according to Oberth!. r. 
In subsp. Cadillac! Oberth, (1 m) from Morocco (Azrou in the first half of July) the thorax is black without cadillaa. 
grey-whitish hairs, the spots of the forewings are wider than in borreyi. Illustration according to Oberthur. 
In subsp. thevestis Stgr. (Vol. 2, p. 20) we have an outwardly distinct subspecies which differs both in 
caterpillar and in the $ butterfly sharply from favonia and without a transition. This may be a separate 
species which in the <$ sex almost resembles favonia *); Geryville, Lambessa, Tebessa, Guelt-es-Stel. It is difficult 
to capture as it rises unusually rapidly on the approach of a human being within many yards distance. 
The ground colour of the larvae of favonia is green, of the same shade as the food plant Eryngium 
campestre L. (Umbellifere similar to a thistle) with a somewhat bluish sheen. Fine white lines extend along 
the back and laterally over the stigmata. The subdorsal rows of spots consist of very small black spots. Each 
segment bears 2 dots, underneath which laterally there are the usual yellow vertical spots. The haiis are like 
bristles up to 2 mm length. Belly grey. In some specimens the grey colour between the segments surrounds 
the larvae so that the light lateral and dorsal lines are interrupted. The larva is to be found full grown in 
May. It rests with the head upwards on the underside of the leaf and eats the leaf from the inside so that the 
dried edge with the prickles is left. In contrast to other Zygaena larvae, it cannot be easily dislodged from the 
food plant, even when heavily shaken. The cocoon is widely boat-shaped with coarse raised grooves, brownish- 
yellow and glossy. The shell of the pupa is yellowish-brown transparent at abdomen. Lhe cocoon is found 
on smooth surfaces of very kind such as tree trunks, wooden fences, but never found on thin stem-like 
substances such as the stalks of grass etc. and very rarely found on the food plant. 
*) thevestis was by no means considered, as an aberration of favonia in Vol. 2, but only as a form of the favonia group, 
Both can scarcely he deemed to be more nearly related.; I have captured, all 3, favonia, loyselis and thevestis on the Iljebtl- 
Touggourt near Batna at the same spot and without finding transition forms. A misunderstanding arose owing to Oberthur 
deeming all species dealt with in one paragraph of the “Macrolepidoptera” as belonging to one and the same species. This is 
by no means the case and stress has often been laid on the fact that different species which are similar or closely related 
can be grouped together as has been done in numerous cases. lhe 1 ublisher. 
